Authorized by President Woodrow Wilson on 6 March 1918. The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) was established pursuant to an Act of Congress, approved on 9 July 1918.

Criteria:

"A bronze medal of appropriate design, and a ribbon to be worn in lieu thereof, to be awarded by the President to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the Army, shall hereafter distinguish himself or herself, or who, since April 6, 1917, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility in time of war or in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States."

Navy Air Pilot - April 1918

Notes:

"The distinguished service cross and the distinguished service medal may be awarded posthumously to persons killed in the performance of acts meriting such award or to persons whose death from any cause may have occurred prior to such award. The medal so awarded will be issued to the nearest relative of the deceased person."

Navy Air Pilot - April 1918

For subsequent acts of exceptionally meritorious service, recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal received an oak leaf cluster.

Among the first recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal for service in World War I, were the Commanding Officers of the Allied Armies: Marshals Foch and Joffre, General Petain of France, Field Marshal Haig of Great Britain, General Diaz of Italy, General Gillain of Belgium, and General Pershing.